1/2 ton pickup opinions???

[Spiveyman]

"Are you Mennonite?..."

Well, duh, obviously he is. That's we he's driving a driving a modern vehicle and using a modern computer to post on the modern internet and using a modern camera to "capture spirits" for posting on this modern forum.

Yes, he's a Mennonite. Clear as a bell and why do you even have to ask that question it's so obvious. Right now, he's already blown out the candles and fired up the bed warmer and snoozing away in his feather bed until the rooster wakes him at 4am. Better ask around 5pm tomorrow afternoon before supper so that he can write back via his windmill powered computer and secret internet connection that he uses for speaking with the "English" when he's feeling particularly naughty....

HA! Now that was funny!

NO, it was a joke, you know, Henry Ford, you can have any color as long as it's black! Maybe I shouldn't be so subtle in my humor. I like your approach better.

 

[cp1969]

please explain to me how 345 hp is greater then 425 hp? is that the new math or something? you are mistaken because if you followed NASCAR back in the 60's and 70's you would find that richard petty ran a 426 hemi and it made close to 800 hp with two carbs so nascar made the hemis run only one carb and that puched the hp numbers back significantly. the chevy motors that you insist on putting down make plenty of hp while maintaining a respectable gas milage average using their vortex design. i can look it up for you and give you the diagram if youd like.

Can you not read? The 5.7 truck Hemi of today displaces 347 cubic inches, makes 345 hp and 375 ft-lb of torque. The 354, the closest displacement Hemi previously available in trucks, made 218 hp and 318 ft-lb. Yeah, I can see where today's Hemi is a shadow of its former self. Mopar's Infamous Hemi - Hemi Engine Database

The 392 topped out at 390 hp, 435 ft-lb. Not available in a truck.
Mopar's Infamous Hemi - Hemi Engine Database

The 426 street Hemi (not available in a truck) was always rated at 425 hp, 490 ft-lb. It always had 2 four barrels. It never came close to 600 hp unless it was modified. What a NASCAR engine did back then is totally irrelevant.

If you want to compare today's Hemi to those two early Hemis, there are better comparisons that the truck engine, a 370 cubic inch version used in the Chrysler 300 that makes 425 hp and 420 ft-lb, SAE NET:
Mopar's Infamous Hemi - Hemi Engine Database

BTW, where did I 'put down' a Chevy engine, other than to ask how many valves it had? THAT'S a put down?????

FWIW, I do not own a Hemi.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think the thing to be learned here is everyone has a favorite. The truth of the matter is what do you like. They all have the bad points. The Dodges are known for the tranny problems, the Gm's are known for the poor brakes and little items failing like switches, and the Fords are known for front end issues like ball joints. I am a Ford Guy. I will argue till I am blue in the face and walk away thinking I am right. I have owned a Gm and a Dodge and had very bad experiences. Yes, I have had a few problems with the 11 Fords I have had but nothing that was serious, a bad dash cluster, a truck that came from the factory out of alignment, and a power window go out (luckily it was up). None of my Fords ever stranded me or spent a night in the repair shop, much better than my Gm that I owned for 1 1/2 years 35,000 miles and spent more than 3 months total in the shop. My Dodge was not much better. I had it 2 years and about 70,000 miles and spent about 1 month of its life in the shop.

The end result is everyone thinks they are right and has a favorite. It all comes down to how the dealer treats you and what type of luck you have.

Chris

 

[workinallthetime]

the dealer i used to work would do fleet management for a large pipelines company here in oklahoma. since the dealer had all of the big 3 plus in their nationwide line up we would prep new fords, chevys, and dodges for them and we would also take in their used up units. we had around 20 dodges in a year that had broken frames under the drivers side floor board, numerous fords that had major transmission problems and the chevys seemed to be holding up under the same type of abuse. the fords and dodges were actually sold for scrap and the chevys were sold for about 2-5k. all of them were 3/4 ton gas burners. this is just what i saw in a few years, and this made me pround to be a gm man. we just bought a new deanli with the 6.2 gas burner and man does it haul.
good look in your quest

 

[RollingsFarms]

the dealer i used to work would do fleet management for a large pipelines company here in oklahoma. since the dealer had all of the big 3 plus in their nationwide line up we would prep new fords, chevys, and dodges for them and we would also take in their used up units. we had around 20 dodges in a year that had broken frames under the drivers side floor board, numerous fords that had major transmission problems and the chevys seemed to be holding up under the same type of abuse. the fords and dodges were actually sold for scrap and the chevys were sold for about 2-5k. all of them were 3/4 ton gas burners. this is just what i saw in a few years, and this made me pround to be a gm man. we just bought a new deanli with the 6.2 gas burner and man does it haul.
good look in your quest

I can't tell you how many stories I've heard with similar results. It always makes me proud that I'm a GM guy also.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I was joking about his Black vehicles.
Anyways, while I doubt it, it's entirely possible he is Mennonite. Some Mennonite groups do use some modern conveniences (and they drive black vehicles). I think its the Amish you are thinking about that dont use automobiles and modern conveniences

Yes. A local auction house is run by Mennonites. While some show up in horse drawn wagons, they also have a skid loader to move round bales, and the company has a website. My understanding of Mennonites is that they limit their use of technology but don't completely avoid it like the Amish. Anyway, all the ones I've met have seemed like really good, nice people.

 

[psj12]

Traded my half ton 03 Dodge HEMI Auto Trans. after pulling my 7,000 lb travel trailer from MD to OK. The milage while towing was 5.6 to 6.5 MPG.
The best milage ever attained was 16.9 on the highway. 11.5 around town. This truck had a 21 or 22 gal tank and went 120 miles between fillups.
The last trip I took on the highway (with 55,000 on odometer) measured 14.6. On the return trip with an empty 14' cargo trailer I got 7.7MPG. I just couldn't afford this lousy mileage.
Bought an 07 Dodge 5.9 Cummins. Get 18 around town and 22 on the highway out of a heavier more powerfull truck. I haven't towed with it yet but deffinently expext more than 6.5 MPG.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Ray,
<sigh> I had a beautiful and eloquent 2000 word document that would have had all of you in tears and offering to send me $$ for a new truck, and the forum logged me off while I was typing.

oh, well.

If the heaviest load you look to haul is under 3,000 pounds plus the weight of the trailer (didn't you say your tractor only weighs 2600 pounds?) you might be OK with something smaller than a 1/2 T truck.
I've had good luck in the past with 2 & 4 wheel drive Rangers, both manual and automatic, 2.3 l4 & 4.0 v6 motors. both did fine hauling trailers under 5k gross weight.
currently I drive an 04 quad cab Dakota and I wish it had a V-8, but when I got the truck I had neither a tractor or a tandem axle trailer. Now I do and the 3.7 v6 struggles when I put my 5,000 pound tractor setup on the trailer, but it will pull it in 4th without feeling unsteady. (4 wheel brakes, and stay off the 4 lane blacktop)
Even the local Ford dealer tells me I would be fine if I had the v-8.

on the other hand I have a friend with an 02 f150 and another with the 04 dodge 1500 -- neither of them has any complaints.

Pick what's comfortable and a good deal and I'm sure you'll be well ahead of the curve!

 

[cp1969]

I can't tell you how many stories I've heard with similar results. It always makes me proud that I'm a GM guy also.

Me, either, except the brands change places from story to story.

 

[JESSE1]

What it all adds up to is you can get a good or bad truck in any brand you buy. Buy the truck that appeals to you and you'll probably be happy with it. If you buy one on the advice of someone else you'll probably hate it. These arguments have been going on for hundreds of years-just substitute breeds of horses for brands of trucks.